‘Astounding’ support for Queen of Shops bid (From Ledbury Reporter)

‘Astounding’ support for Queen of Shops bid

10:00am Friday 30th March 2012 in News

LEDBURY’S bid to be included in a £1 million Mary Portas-backed high street regeneration initiative has received “astounding” support.

The town is hoping to become of 12 pilot locations to receive up to £100,000 and advice from the Queen of Shops television presenter.

The deadline for towns to enter the scheme is today (Friday) and members of the Ledbury Town Planning Group, which has co-ordinated the bid, now face a wait until May to learn if they have been successful.

Town and county councillor Liz Harvey, who is the group’s chairman, said: “Seventy-five per cent of the commercial property landlords in the town have backed the bid,”

she said.

“We have found that the vast majority of the people who own commercial property here are both independent and locally based, so they have a real personal interest in Ledbury retaining its vibrancy.”

More than 60 letters of support have been received to date, while supermarkets Tesco and Co-op have also offered their support.

Meanwhile John Masefield High School students have been working with Hereford-based Rural Media Company to shoot a video showing how they would like Ledbury to be by the time they have grown up.

This is shortly set to appear on YouTube in support of the bid.

Ledbury’s mayor Allen Conway said: “I think it is a brilliant idea and anything that work and opportunity to the town is very welcome.”

The town planning group is also working to create a town plan. It will be holding its next meeting in the Burgage Hall at 7pm on Tuesday, April 24. To get involved, e-mail a.warmington@btinternet.com.